Stories: Winter Prairie

A country girl at heart, Kelsey Grose of Farmer’s Daughter Interiors & Design reimagines the Winter Prairie with a beautifully layered palette that’s equal parts rustic and romantic.

Photos by Kelsey Grose (unless noted)

Growing up on a third generation grain farm, Kelsey’s ties to the land run deep. Looking to the vast Canadian prairies that stretched across her childhood home, she used the landscape’s quiet majesty to bring her Story to life. 

Kelsey’s hand-picked colors will have you under a winter spell and inspire year-round. Each of Kelsey's Story Sample Packs comes with a 2 x 4 ceramic color chip in Frost, Flagstone, Magnetite, Birch, Crater Lake, Mushroom, Basalt, and  Antique. 

Loving Winter Prairie's frosty neutrals, tranquil blues, and toasty caramels? See more of Kelsey's Story here and shop her collection. For more country comforts, head over to Kelsey's Winter Prairie Pinterest Board. 

Keep scrolling to learn more about Kelsey and her inspiration behind our coziest story yet. 

Meet Kelsey!

Hi, I’m Kelsey! At my design firm, Farmer’s Daughter Interiors in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. We specialize in an interior design style I’d say is fresh, nature-inspired, warm, neutral, and textural. I can personally appreciate so many different design styles and find a variety of those influences creeping into my designs. I’m proud of my Prairie roots and I believe our aesthetic reflects Prairie warmth in a refined way. 

What inspired your Winter Prairie Story?
Growing up on the Canadian Prairies, our four seasons are so distinct. Winter is long here and so you have to learn to find things to appreciate about it. The colours in the landscape are truly beautiful in winter, perhaps even more so than at the peak of summer. The leftover harvest grasses are poking through the tops of the snow drifts and red-twig dogwood bushes add their crimson hue to the scene. Mix that with some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world and you can’t help but feel inspired. 

Colors Shown:  Frost, Flagstone, and Birch

How did you choose the 8 colors in your palette? 

The Canadian Prairies are endless color combinations, tonal neutrals, and texture galore. The palette I chose refers to the faded blues of the winter sky, the crispness of the snow, the washed-out gold of leftover autumn, and tonal browns of farm fields. 

Frost is such a nice white with warm undertones the mix nicely with the icy tones in Crater Lake. Antique is a unique colour that I can envision as a floor in a more shapely profile like Ogee or Star & Cross. While I’m not typically a ‘pink’ person, Mushroom has an almost muddy quality to it that makes it really relatable. Combined with the cool tones in Flagstone and the natural feel of Birch, it fits in perfectly. With so much of the trend being towards lighter colors, I find myself craving a chance to use moodier colors like Magnetite and Basalt. 

How do you like to use tile in your designs?
Tile has the ability to completely transform a space. Even towards the end of a project, there’s still so much flexibility that can be afforded by considering alternate tile options or using it in a different way. Fireclay’s ceramics are perfect for adding a hand-crafted look, especially the varieties with a higher variation. If I’m going to use a brick tile, I’ll often aim for a counter-to-ceiling or a full wall application because brick has the potential to lend a structural feeling to a space. 

Tile shown: Frost 4x8 // Design: Jillian Harris // Photo: Janis Nicolay

Best Design Advice? 

1. Find balance in scale - play with scale by mixing smaller tiles with larger tiles to ground the room and keep the look simplified. 

Tile shown: 6" Triangle in Salton Sea, Frost, and Rosemary // Design + Photo: Chase Daniel

2. Prioritize your budget - do as much planning in advance of starting your project as possible and consider splurging on a main feature, one that will be difficult to replace in the future (like tile!), or one that affects multiple spaces in your home. Then scale back in other areas and plan for other ways to save

Tile Shown: 2x8's in Flagstone // Design: The Filomena // Image: Zio and Sons 

3. Explore your options - Take time to learn and understand the materials you’re going to be using in your project and ask questions! If thinking about it feels overwhelming, enlist a professional - it’ll be worth every cent!

4. Texture, texture, texture! - Think about your space in layers and add a variety of textures that have a similar composition, depending on the look you are trying to create. We especially love designing with natural materials like cotton, wool, jute, wood, and linen.

Tile shown: Handpainted Kasbah Trellis in Neutral Motif and Basalt Hexite // Design + Photo: Studio Revolution

5. Choose things that make you happy! - Regardless of hot trends, your girlfriend's house, or what you're seeing on TV, your home should ultimately be a reflection of the people that live there - you! Choose materials and furnishings that bring you joy when you look at them and add your personality to your space through things that hold meaning for you. 

Tile shown: Crater Lake Hexite // Design: Orlando Soria // Photo: Zeke Ruelas

What's your favorite part of your job? Being able to see a project through from concept to completion and presenting a client with a fully finished space is incredibly rewarding. But even more than that, I love being able to take the stress out of the design process for our clients and create a really enjoyable experience for them. Hearing their feedback throughout and at the end of a project, especially when the process runs smoother or turns our even better than they were expecting, is my very favorite part about what I do. 

Design: Farmer's Daughter Interiors & Design // Photo: Candace Schwartz of Jackson Designs

What Fireclay product would you like to use on your next project? With all the ceramic colors available, there are so many good options. I’m still waiting for the perfect project to use that gorgeous Rosemary color! 

Tile shown: Rosemary 3x6 // Design: Sarah Sherman Samuel , Emily Farnham Architecture // Photos: Tessa Neustadt

Fun fact about yourself? My husband, Shayne, and I are middle-school sweethearts and recently purchased our own piece of the land on the Prairies where we hope to build our dream home someday. 

Your country escape awaits...Order your Winter Prairie sample pack today! Need some help? Simply call, chat or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.